This place is an almost legendary hangout in Copenhagen. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly and even though the majority of the guests are local it is also strangely international, probably due to the fact that many of the staff doesn’t necessarily speak Danish.

The interior is slightly curious. Lamp shades are doll heads and the place is full of stuffed animals that are not looking like you would expect them to. Actually most of them are dressed. And seem to have at bit of a rebel attitude. All the animal dolls are made ​​by the artist Philip V. Jensen

The art exhibited on the walls is for sale and is made by changing artists and replaced a few times a year.

Bankeråt has a wide selection of beer, but personally I can recommend their Irish coffee. My friends and I have carefully and several times sampled the beverage, and there can be no doubt that it is the best in town.

Bankeråt also boasts a varied menu with everything from brunch to sandwiches to lamb stew, and the kitchen is open till 21:30 every day of the week.

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Bankeråt | Art & culture, Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks
Ahlefeldtsgade 27-29 | Inner City | +4533936988
Mon – Fri 09:30 – 00:00, Sat – Sun 10:30 – 00:00

My favorite coffee spot is my local Riccos, at Outer Nørrebro. There are other Riccos shops in Copenhagen, but this one is my favorite.

It’s excellent for a break because nothing is ever rushed at Riccos. The service is always friendly, and the coffee is really good, so it’s worth standing in line and having a bit of a wait. Come to think of it, I’ve never been to Riccos without having to wait. It’s a small place, but there is indoor seating just up a few stairs to a backroom with candles, books and slightly worn down furniture.

They serve homemade cake, and you can get a freshly buttered bun with cheese if you’re hungry. Almost all of the coffee products and the food at Riccos are organic and fair trade.

I usually take my coffee outside because on the opposite corner there is a small record store, Good Life Records where the guys like to keep the door open and play jazz or mellow hip hop and stuff like that.

Be warned that on weekend mornings the service can be extra slow, mostly because the customers are a bit slower than on workdays.

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Riccos Kaffebar, Stefansgade | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Large latte DKK 30
Stefansgade 15 | Nørrebro
Sat – Thu 08:00 – 22:00, Fri 08:00 – 00:00

‘Welcome to Café Lyst – where the sun is always shining’ it says on the wall when you enter the café.

Despite the fact that it’s located in a basement and it looks at bit dark, it is surprisingly bright once you’re inside. Lyst is friendly and super cosy, and the food is quite good.  You can meet young mothers sipping latte and showing off their babies, hipsters with hangovers, budding musicians and all the rest of us just out for a bite or a coffee.

Lyst is located on an open and sunny corner, so when weather permits it I’ll take my coffee outside. You’ll have to share your table because the outdoor seating consists of benches along tables, so don’t be shy.

Many of the dishes are served with ecological rugbrød (rye bread). If you never had Danish rye bread before then be aware that it is quite different from ordinary wholemeal bread.

From the snack menu I highly recommend the rugbrød with humus, tapenade and pesto: it’s really good!

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Café Lyst | Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (Intern.) | Snacks DKK 25
Jægersborggade 56 | Nørrebro
Mon – Thu 07:30 – 23:00, Fri 07:30 – 01:00, Sat 10:00 – 01:00, Sun 10:00 – 20:00

I know I write a lot about food, but simply can’t help myself but write about another great place for breakfast. Every place serving brunch in this city always offers pancakes -seriously, I haven’t yet found a single brunch without them -but when it comes to choosing the absolutely best pancakes in the city, café Kalaset is the true winner.

How they manage to make the pancakes high but not too fluffy, filling but still saving some space for a slice or two of their homemade bread amazes me. My favorite is the ones with thick chocolate sauce and banana slices on top, though the Blueberry -ones with maple syrup are a tough competitor. To accompany this food from heaven I like to order “Oslo mad” – a plate with white and rye bread with butter and cheese plus a cup of their good coffee. They also offer bigger meals, for example I’ve heard their burger rocks.

Kalaset is situated in the very middle of the city; around 5min walk from Nørreport -station. Though situated in a basement (as huge part of the Copenhagen -restaurants), they have a very cozy atmosphere: retro tables and chairs, beautiful old radios on the wall and a wooden bar desk in the middle of the place.

But if you want to eat here (especially on a weekends) and arrive after 11:00 you’re already late! The place is extremely popular amongst the locals of the area, and the sporty Copenhageners don’t seem to sleep in on weekends…

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Kalaset | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants | Pancakes DKK 54
Vendersgade 16 | Inner City | +4533330035
Mon – Thu 10:00 – 00:00, Fri – Sat 10:00 – 02:00, Sun 10:00 – 23:00

This really is the closest to a home made goods you can get to in this city. Krummen og Kagen (or Crumb and Cake) is a cute little home bakery meets a café – combination in the very heart of the fancy residential area of Østerbro.

Whether you are in the mood for a salty snack or a sweet treat to accompany your afternoon coffee, this is your spot to visit. They offer a variety of home baked goods from cakes and buns to breakfast rolls and sandwiches. I especially like a breakfast roll of theirs filled with some good cheese, enjoyed with a huuuuuuge cup of excellent coffee and to finish the snacking with a piece of raspberry pie (if wanted, whipped cream can be added, do try!).

Krummen og kagen has also the interior suited to the homemade – concept: wooden chairs, benches covered with pillows and even a rocking chair! They also sell some excellent chocolates, not a bad idea to bring as a gift.

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Krummen og kagen | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Breakfast roll DKK 7
Nordre Frihavnsgade 43 | Østerbro | +4561270817
Mon – Fri 06:30 – 18:00, Sat – Sun 07:00 – 17:00

So this is where they keep the tasty, rich -flavored bread! Foodshop 26 is again one of the cafés in Copenhagen gone wild about ecological food. But oh how it is tasty! The flour and the seeds used to the bread they bake themselves is stone-grinded and without any additives.

Along with the baked goods they also make their marmalades themselves, which by the way are the tastiest marmalades I’ve ever tasted! I fell in love with their Apricot-vanilla mix, that is spiced with real Tahiti -vanilla, definitely worth a try!

I’d recommend visiting Foodshop 26 especially in the morning, and ordering one of their Morning plates. They have plenty of variations to choose from, including bread of your choice accompanied for example by eggs, yoghurt topped with maple syrup, variety of sausages and cheeses and jam. Add a can of their fresh-squeezed orange juice and a café latte and you get a tasty, nutritious and filling start to your morning. And even if you’re travelling with a bigger group, there’s a chance to enjoy your breakfast together around the bigger communal breakfast -style table.

As the name implies, this is also a food shop. There is a wide selection of treats, mostly ecological, from jams, chocolates and cakes to salty treats, ready-meals and daily groceries. There is also a “sister-shop” called Foodshop 55 close to Bella Center metro st.

Go enjoy!

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Foodshop no.26 | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Breakfast plate DKK 89
Thorshavnsgade 26 | Amager | +4532962626
06:30 – 20:00 daily

This is it , you have found it – one of the cool, urban and little underground-ish clubs to visit. First mission is to actually find the place from the furthermost corner of the Kødbyen -area. The entrance is in an inside yard, hardly noticeable from the street. The club itself is situated in a low-roofed large room with black walls and a rather rough look with just pillars cutting the view.

But the looks aren’t the moneymaker here, definitely no. The thing people come here for is the awesome music and superb artists. During its existence in Kødbyen, the KB18 has hosted numerous of amazing concerts and clubs. My favorite so far has absolutely been the Swedish hip hop-star Adam Tensta. It was as if this dark, large, deserted space had suddenly had a soul inserted in it and it transformed to be a box filled with heart -bouncing, dancing urges-liberating, soul -warming, amazing music. This is IT, the way a music club should be and feel!

On the nights there’s no live music, the club transforms to be an Electro Club with varying themes. In addition to the superb music they offer a small bar with the basic Danish bar -drinks; beer, shots, some drinks and cider.

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KB18 | Bars, Coffee & tea, Music | Beer DKK 40
Kødboderne 18 | Vesterbro | +4533313933
Thu – Sat 21:00 – 05:00

Nørrebro truly is one of the most interesting areas to explore in Copenhagen. The urban, lively and exiting area offers numerous oriental shops, restaurants, small boutiques, parks and squares, enough to spend an interesting weekend – or two – in.

On the pedestrian street Blågårdsgade , just a stone cast away from the Lakes , you can find a super cozy café called Props Coffee. Though the area has plenty of coffee shops (and cool restaurants like Kate’s joint, (check out the article here.)), my points go for this little one. This is a very ideal place to go to, whether you grave for a steaming cup of coffee after a walk in the nearby Assistens kirkegård in the fresh winter-air or want to just sit outside in the summer, chill and watch the people passing by.

The place has been decorated with old, mostly wooden furniture, simple old-style pictures and signs on the walls and dim lighting. While you enjoy your delicious coffee (very fair prices!) and listen to the calming music from the good old days of Ella Fitzgerald and co, you simply cannot become totally relaxed. They also have a couple of board games (backgammon, chess…) to entertain you and your friends during the visit to complete a moment of relaxation.

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Props coffee shop | Coffee & tea, Relaxing | Cafe Latte DKK 25
Blågårdsgade 5 | Nørrebro | +4535369955
Mon – Wed 11:00 – 00:00, Thu – Sat 11:00 – 02:00, Sun 12:00 – 23:00

Adventure or relaxation? They have it all! DGI -Byen is a home to all kinds of activities you can imagine -and right in the middle of the city. They are specialized in offering business-meeting/relaxation -combos, parties for companies and clubs and -of course- experiences to everyone.

This is a fantastic place for the whole family to spend a day doing what interests them  the most. Up for some action? Go try one of the cool sports they offer: water spinning, rock-wall climbing, scuba-diving, badminton, shooting or my favorite, bowling. There is also an inside rock climbing wall and jump towers in the Water culture -house, a certain high point for every teenager -kids family trip. It’s also possible to buy a training pass for a day to their well-equipped gym.

Tired of all the walking and travelling? Pamper yourself with a day in the Spa with loads of the incredible treatments included to the entrance fee. How does a long afternoon with sauna, swimming and cozying in front of a fireplace with a cup of good tea sound like? And if the relaxation isn’t enough to get your mind off the busy life, one can also book a massage to make the trip to DGI -byen absolutely perfect.

After all the action and relaxation is nice to have something to eat, and I recommend to go have a dinner at Vestauranten, the center’s own restaurant. Delicious way to end a perfect day.

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DGI -byen | Coffee & tea, Music, Relaxing | Spa entrance DKK 250
Tietgensgade 65 | Vesterbro | +4533298000
Mon – Thu 15:00 – 22:00, Fri 14:00 – 22:00, Sat 09:00 – 19:00, Sun 09:00 – 18:00

Have you been shopping all day? Or walking around the city looking at sights? Are your feet screaming for a break and your mind graving for a moment off from the fuss on the streets? How about a break in the city’s book mecca?

In the very middle of the city you can find Hovedbiblioteket -The main library. Especially during the daytime this is an excellent place to go have a moment of quiet, afternoons might be a bit busier as people get off from work and the numerous students of Copenhagen roll in to study.

The recently renovated main library has lots of places to lounge with a good book: chairs, lean chairs, couches, you name it. They have a quite comprehensive selection of foreign books and newspapers, too, so there’s a read for everybody.

And if you wish to have a cup of coffee to accompany your break, head to the brand new coffee joint based on the ground floor called Democratic café, their coffee is totally out of this world.

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Hovedbiblioteket | Art & culture, Coffee & tea | Free
Krystalgade 15 | Inner City | +4533736060
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 19:00, Sat 10:00 – 16:00